diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.as b/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.as
index b3276742..2dc0e39f 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.as
@@ -71,12 +71,7 @@ public /*abstract*/ class SceneController extends PlaceController
     protected function sceneUpdated (update :SceneUpdate) :void
     {
         // apply the update to the scene
-        _wctx.getSceneDirector().getScene().updateReceived(update);
-
-        // we don't persistify these updates in this circumstance, but
-        // next time we come to this scene we'll redownload the update and
-        // apply it to the repository; as the updates are meant to be very
-        // small, this shouldn't be horribly less efficient
+        _wctx.getSceneDirector().updateReceived(update);
     }
 
     /** Used to listen for scene updates. */
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.as b/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.as
index 155e7d7e..aaefa228 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.as
@@ -305,13 +305,7 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
         }
 
         // store the updated scene in the repository
-        try {
-            _screp.storeSceneModel(model);
-        } catch (ioe :IOError) {
-            log.warning("Failed to update repository with updated scene " +
-                        "[sceneId=" + model.sceneId + "].");
-            log.logStackTrace(ioe);
-        }
+        persistSceneModel(model);
 
         // finally pass through to the normal success handler
         moveSucceeded(placeId, config);
@@ -326,14 +320,7 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
                  model.name + "/" + model.version + "].");
 
         // update the model in the repository
-        try {
-            _screp.storeSceneModel(model);
-        } catch (ioe :IOError) {
-            log.warning("Failed to update repository with new version " +
-                        "[sceneId=" + model.sceneId +
-                        ", nvers=" + model.version + "].");
-            log.logStackTrace(ioe);
-        }
+        persistSceneModel(model);
 
         // update our scene cache
         _scache.put(model.sceneId, model);
@@ -353,6 +340,16 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
         _locdir.failedToMoveTo(sceneId, reason);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Called by SceneController instances to tell us about an update
+     * to the current scene.
+     */
+    public function updateReceived (update :SceneUpdate) :void
+    {
+        _scene.updateReceived(update);
+        persistSceneModel(_scene.getSceneModel());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Called to clean up our place and scene state information when we
      * leave a scene.
@@ -462,6 +459,20 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
         return model;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Persist the scene model to the clientside persistant cache.
+     */
+    protected function persistSceneModel (model :SceneModel) :void
+    {
+        try {
+            _screp.storeSceneModel(model);
+        } catch (ioe :IOError) {
+            log.warning("Failed to update repository with updated scene " +
+                        "[sceneId=" + model.sceneId + "].");
+            log.logStackTrace(ioe);
+        }
+    }
+
     // documentation inherited
     override public function clientDidLogoff (event :ClientEvent) :void
     {
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java
index 661d82c6..80109259 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneController.java
@@ -70,12 +70,7 @@ public abstract class SceneController extends PlaceController
     protected void sceneUpdated (SceneUpdate update)
     {
         // apply the update to the scene
-        _wctx.getSceneDirector().getScene().updateReceived(update);
-
-        // we don't persistify these updates in this circumstance, but
-        // next time we come to this scene we'll redownload the update and
-        // apply it to the repository; as the updates are meant to be very
-        // small, this shouldn't be horribly less efficient
+        _wctx.getSceneDirector().updateReceived(update);
     }
 
     /** Used to listen for scene updates. */
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java
index 4e00fed1..289d0668 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/client/SceneDirector.java
@@ -309,14 +309,8 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
             return;
         }
 
-        // store the updated scene in the repository
-        try {
-            _screp.storeSceneModel(model);
-        } catch (IOException ioe) {
-            Log.warning("Failed to update repository with updated scene " +
-                        "[sceneId=" + model.sceneId + "].");
-            Log.logStackTrace(ioe);
-        }
+        // store the updated version
+        persistSceneModel(model);
 
         // finally pass through to the normal success handler
         moveSucceeded(placeId, config);
@@ -331,14 +325,7 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
                  model.name + "/" + model.version + "].");
 
         // update the model in the repository
-        try {
-            _screp.storeSceneModel(model);
-        } catch (IOException ioe) {
-            Log.warning("Failed to update repository with new version " +
-                        "[sceneId=" + model.sceneId +
-                        ", nvers=" + model.version + "].");
-            Log.logStackTrace(ioe);
-        }
+        persistSceneModel(model);
 
         // update our scene cache
         _scache.put(Integer.valueOf(model.sceneId), model);
@@ -358,6 +345,16 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
         _locdir.failedToMoveTo(sceneId, reason);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Called by SceneController instances to tell us about an update
+     * to the current scene.
+     */
+    public void updateReceived (SceneUpdate update)
+    {
+        _scene.updateReceived(update);
+        persistSceneModel(_scene.getSceneModel());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Called to clean up our place and scene state information when we
      * leave a scene.
@@ -468,6 +465,21 @@ public class SceneDirector extends BasicDirector
         return model;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Persist the scene model to the clientside persistant cache.
+     */
+    protected void persistSceneModel (SceneModel model)
+    {
+        // store the updated scene in the repository
+        try {
+            _screp.storeSceneModel(model);
+        } catch (IOException ioe) {
+            Log.warning("Failed to update repository with updated scene " +
+                        "[sceneId=" + model.sceneId + "].");
+            Log.logStackTrace(ioe);
+        }
+    }
+
     // documentation inherited from interface
     public void clientDidLogoff (Client client)
     {